The Art of Prayer

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Is prayer an art?

Lately, I have been inarticulately groaning (not praying in tongues, but groaning because there is so much to pray for). I am so glad that Paul wrote the Holy Spirit interprets for us. I am grateful that He knows better than I what needs to be said. I am so thankful that I don't have to do everything or remember everything to pray for.

I am so grateful that I can leave everything in God's hands. I don't have to worry and fret over the hurts and cares of my siblings in Christ, or for the lost friends and families of my siblings in Christ. I am also thankful that God is so much bigger than any problem I have. How can I not trust Him? He sometimes answers my prayers before I've even prayed! That is just so incredible to contemplate. No wonder David would say, "Selah!"

I can be lost in wonder at the beauty of some prayers. David's for example. Paul's. Or the simple prayer of Jesus, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

And isn't it absolutely wonderful that Jesus prayed for us!


John 17:10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine and I have glory in them.

Of course this part of His prayer is for His disciples, the eleven who were faithful. However, I am a disciple of His and I am expected to bring Him glory. Jesus has glory in me. Selah! What an awesome thought. How I act. How I present myself to the world. What I think, either brings glory to Him or shame.


John 17:13 And now I come to You, and I speak these things in the world, that they may have My joy being fulfilled in them.

Jesus spoke His prayer in the world. That is difficult to understand. But when we consider that He lay all His riches aside and His place beside His Father so that we could understand God better, understand how we are to conduct ourselves righteously, understand the stark difference between good and evil in order to choose the good and reject the evil. Yes. I can absolutely see how that fills me up with Joy. Indescrible, unmistakable, unquenchable Joy.